Days of Wine and Horses

For those with an itch for Danish kitsch, Solvang is down the road a hitch.  For those scabbed over by touristy Solvang, Santa Ynez is an upscale rural community with horse filled rolling hills,  and wineries around every corner.

The place to stay is the Santa Ynez Inn. http://www.santaynezinn.com

Our room

Balcony of our room, with view of the inn.

Rooms are not cheap.  Rack rate is over $500, but specials often bring the rate down to about $250.  The quality of accommodations coupled with generous perks make the room fair value.

Happy hour includes good local wines, cheese and other appetizers often including raw shrimp.  Fellow travelers become friends over a good Pinot.

Show your room key, and tastings are free at over 20 local wineries.  This is a savings of twenty to thirty dollars per couple at each winery.

Buttonwood pictured above is included. We also went to Gainey and Qupe.  The latter was our favorite, of the free tastings.

In the same delightful room used for happy hour, enjoy a yummy free breakfast, and late evening dessert.

Within a 2 block radius are a number of excellent restaurants.  No need to fear an extra glass of wine when you walk from your pick.

This visit we enjoyed Brother's Restaurant at the Red Barn.  Pictured above is my perfect prime rib, and Roslyn's tuna tartare.  Equally as good, but not pictured, was a stilton salad with poached pears, and a dish of brown butter ice cream.  On previous trips we have enjoyed the farm fresh California cuisine at S.Y. Kitchen,  with the same ownership as Toscana in Brentwood.  Another option we enjoyed on a previous trip was Trattoria Grappolo.

Santa Ynez is horse country.  Among the prominent thoroughbred horse farms is Tommy Town.

Tommy Town

Our weanling, Campaigner.

Our two favorite local wineries are on the other side of the 101 freeway in Lompoc.  Neither are part of the Santa Ynez free tasting program, but we taste free as wine club members.

Melville produces solid whites including their Chardonnay and Viognier.  Their reds, particularly Pinots and Syrahs, are world class.

Babcock, in the same Santa Rita appellation, produces lovely wines with exceptional specials for club members.

Traveling back to Los Angeles, I recommend two restaurants, one in Santa Barbara and the other in Ventura.  Good news for those with a bad memory, both have the same name http://www.brophybros.com/.  The original Brophy Brothers at the Santa Barbara Harbor, has a harbor view, slightly better food, but can be quite crowded.  Locals love it.

The Ventura harbor location also has great views, and has the advantage of a happy hour.  Fish and chips, peel and eat shrimp, garlic clams, and oysters Rockefeller, are among the offerings for about seven dollars.  Both are known for excellent seafood, and for those with a designated driver, an honest pour.  In Ventura,  Jameson Irish Whiskey is $3.50 during happy hour.

The Ventura Harbor is a nice place to walk after your meal.

Keeping Biden Hiding

There were no losers at the first Democratic debate.  The lesser known candidates gained stature and name recognition by sharing the stage with Clinton and Sanders.  O'Malley was smooth and sharp.  Perhaps not good enough to steal votes from the top two, but he may score with undecideds.

Other than a weak moment on gun control,  Bernie was Bernie.  He was preaching to his large choir, and you could almost hear the "Amens."    His poll numbers should stay steady.

But, the big winner was Hillary.  Her broad knowledge and deep preparation was expected, but her pitch perfect performance was a revelation.  At key moments she was fierce and passionate, while in general at ease, witty, and enjoying herself.  Democrats who have been jittery over her pounding on emails got a stiff shot of courage.  Money will continue to flow.

The only loser was not in the room.  Biden has to have renewed doubts about running.  If she completes the parlay before the Benghazi Committer, he will not enter the game.

Ryan's Hope

The lords of the GOP are hoping for a white knight to unite the party's fiefdoms.  Fealty goes both ways, but there is always a winner. Paul Ryan is unique.  Party leaders are begging him to accept their support for Speaker.  Others are pleading for votes, beholden to each faction of the party.  Others would fear being unseated, Ryan could threaten to step down.

Ryan would be a strong Speaker.  Still the Speakership may be a trap.  The Speaker's job is to keep the lights on, at a time when many in his party yearn for a prince of darkness.

Boehner's Last Lap

The long departed and discredited Dennis Hastert is all  that stands between Speaker Boehner and strutting across the finish line.  The Hastert Rule requires a majority GOP vote before anything comes to the floor.

If Boehner can sprint by that, his trophy case case could include, immigration reform, corporate tax reform, modern infrastructure, a new debt ceiling, and a realistic budget.   Bipartisan is not a dirt word.  He could stand up to the Freedom Caucus, since he has already tendered his resignation.   He can fiddle as the FC burns each new candidate for Speaker.

Will Boehner end his term with the swagger of Tip (of the hat) O'Neill, or dithering like Dennis Hastert?

McCarthy Will Be a Weaker Speaker

The Speaker of the House is 2nd in line for the presidency, but the most powerful legislator.  The pesky filibuster that hamstrings the Senate Majority Leader does not apply to the Speaker.  That power is already oozing out from self inflicted wounds.

Hoping to curry favor,  GOP house members were jostling to be the first to endorse McCarthy.  A few poorly chosen words have changed everything.  Now McCarthy, facing a challenge, must promise the moon and the sun to be the chosen one.  Each promise constrains his flexibility and power.  Whether he speaks softly, or at all, he will carry a small stick.

Broad 3

We returned to the Broad Museum, this time sporting my new Canon 6D camera.  On a couple of the exterior shots I used the wide setting on my 17-40mm lens.

As you can see from the bottom picture, the Broad is virtually across the street from MOCA, allowing for a full day of cultural exploration.   The Walt Disney Music Hall is across the street  to the North.  It is barely visible on the right side of the picture below.

 You can see the Disney Hall more clearly in this interior picture.

 The interior is well lit and architecturally interesting.

The collection is strong and varied.

Reserve in advance to be admitted to Yayoi Kusama's Infinity Mirrored Room.  http://www.thebroad.org/art/inaugural-installation

The room envelopes you, allowing your imagination to expand exponentially.  In the first picture below you can see me on the right side of the picture.

One disquieting note.  Heading toward the guard station and lockers is a low railing about 8 inches high.  Coming from the guard station (looking for the restroom), with the sun in my eyes I tripped.  Be careful.  The railing is low and with all the visual stimulation you might face the same plight.

Untrustable

Speaker Boehner is not even gone, but the few remaining sane Republicans must already miss him.  Kevin McCarthy, if he has not spoken himself out of the Speakership, will be the least experienced Speaker in 125 years.

He also may be the worst speaker ever.  Grammar, syntax and coherence be damned, Clinton is "untrustable."  Kennedy's "Best and the brightest,' have given way to the petty and partisan.  Gone is the veneer of doing the nation's business.  The Benghazi investigation has gone on longer, and cost more, than the investigation of Pearl Harbor, 9/11, Watergate, or the Kennedy assassination.

Some may wonder why the tragic death of 4 diplomats is more important and complex, than the loss of most of our navy, criminal acts by a president and his advisors, the loss of 3000 American lives on our soil, or the death of a president.  The reason is now clear.  McCarthy and his ilk proudly place partisanship above duty to country.